Nervous about moving in? Here's what you should bring for the best move-in day ever

photo courtesy Chris Taggart

We are quickly approaching the excitement of Move-In Day – a day that can seem daunting when facing the challenging task of deciding what to pack. “You don’t need to bring as much as you think you do,” explained Connor Simcox ‘16, “you want to bring a bunch of books from home because they look nice or you want to read them, but you only ever end up flipping through one or two.” Within the first few weeks of school your book collection will have doubled, adapting to your new tastes and your curriculum. “Just bring the books that might work well as reference material,” he said.

It is important that you acclimate yourself easily to your new home, and to do so you should bring familiar objects with you. “Things I was happiest to have brought were things from my childhood, like books that I had already read, my dad’s pillows or a pair of my mom’ socks, just to remind me that I was home,” said Aly Tippett ‘16.

You should buy tape to stick things on your walls that remind you of home (tacks are not allowed). “Bring photographs of your family, of your friends, of your pets, and of the neighborhood café that was the site of so many high school study sessions. Keep those people and those places with you. They are your foundation, they are what brought you to who, and where you are now,” said Sophie Needleman ‘16

You will also need a few essentials to make your life a little easier throughout the year. “Shower shoes for communal bathrooms and a robe will save your life,” said Katya Goncalves ‘16. In addition, bring “a fan, and slippers so you can walk around comfortably,” said Tippett. The beds at Sarah Lawrence are twin-sized, so bring a comforter, bed linens and two pillows sized for your new bed. Your new room will be smaller than what you are accustumed to, so you have to make the most out of the little space you have. Bring clothing hangers for your closet, bed risers and storage containers for your shoes and some of your clothes to nicely sit under your bed. Some of the rooms are not furnished with lamps, so try to bring a desk lamp and a larger lamp. The desk lamp will come in handy when you will need to work late nights and your roommate is sleeping and the larger lamp will bring some warmth to your new home. Typically, the lamps that the school gives you (if you have one in your room) will have a bright white light that is disagreeable. We recommend you bring yellow-tinted light bulbs to bring a comforting glow to your room.  Add to the list a full length mirror and a rug. The rug will make your room more cozy. If you live in the new dorms where the floors are bare and quickly get dirty, a rug is essential. If you live in Hill House, most rooms have a carpet thus a rug will not be necessary. You should also bring an over-the-door hanger; it is a great way to save space and a practical spot to keep your coat, robe and towel. To maximize space in your bathroom, you should bring a shower rack to easily transport everything you need.

Laundry will probably be the more challenging task as a freshman, but you will only need two things: detergent and a small laundry bag that you can easily carry up and down stairs. Try to buy one large case of detergent with your roommates, you will always end up borrowing each others.

When it comes to school supplies, do not forget to bring a hard drive or a small USB stick (depending on how much storage space you need) to backup your work. You do not want to risk losing all your notes and homework during conference week. The school’s bookstore sells binders, folders, paper and writing utensils but you should only use the bookstore for things that are urgent because it can be quite pricey. You can also splurge on some Sarah Lawrence merchandise if you want to; however, there is a Staples near campus that offers more choices for a better value. You also do not need to bring your own printer. Printers are available in almost every dorm. You can also print in the library, at the Pub, in Heimbold, or Slonim. On your first day, you will receive a lot of “printing money”  on your One-Card. This money does not roll-over from year to year, so make the most of it (in other words, use it all!). For late night studying do not forget to bring a coffee mug. Refills at the pub will be less expensive and it is ultimately better for the environment to use a mug instead of paper cups.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, remember that it is “better to under pack than to over pack, as the year goes by you will have a better idea of what you need. You can build off that,” said Ramisha Sumar ‘15. You also happen to live five minutes away from both Cross County Shopping Center and downtown Bronxville where you will be able to purchase almost anything that you need. Most importantly remember to “bring your big heart and bring your wisdom,” said Needleman. Within your first few hours you will meet a lot of people who are willing to help you get anything you might need. If your parents are not with you to help, most likely one of your roommates will have a parent that is more than willing to help you get everything you need, from additional storage space to food. The biggest move-in essential is a calm mind and positive attitude.

by Julia Schur '15
Managing Editor
jschur@gm.slc.edu